2016 U.S Olympic Trials: Day Seven Finals Live Recap

Tonight could be a historic night for swimming at the 2016 U.S Olympic Trials. Both Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps could be making history tonight as they each have one final to contest. Current photo via Mike Lewis/Ola Vista Photography

Phelps is up first in the men’s 100m butterfly which will be his last race on U.S soil. If he makes the team in the event, he’s in a position to win four straight Olympic gold medals in the event, something that’s never been done before. There’s plenty of talent in the final tonight, and Phelps is far from a lock in the event after the speed that was displayed in semifinals.

Ledecky has the 800m freestyle final. In order to qualify, she swam an 8:10.91. She described that that performance felt easy, meaning that there’s plenty of potential for her to smash her own world record tonight.

200m backstroke world record holder Missy Franklin will be looking to qualify for one more event with her last swim at these trials. Franklin has been swimming consistently well in the 200m backstroke, and just needs to finish second tonight to qualify. Maya DiRado and Elizabeth Beisel will be there to add challenge to the chase.

The men’s 50m freestyle final is the fourth final of the night. There have been several swimmers under 22-seconds and this final should heat up to be one of the best of the evening. It will come down to the wire as it usually does.

Along with the finals there’s the women’s 50m freestyle semifinal led by Madison Kennedy.

Maya DiRado took the first final of the night with a swift 2:06.90 that put her well ahead of the rest of the field as she won her third event of these Olympic trials. DiRado took the lead at the 100-meter mark and never looked back, holding her consistency into the wall as she touched in for gold at 2:06.90.

At the 150 it was Franklin in second with both Bilquist and Bratton hot on her tail. Heading into the wall, it looked as though both Bilquist and Bratton were gaining on Franklin. Regardless of that fact, she managed to hold on for silver securing a 200m backstroke swim at the Olympic Games.

At the touch Franklin was a 2:07.89, Bratton was a 2:08.20 for third, and Bilquist was a 2:08.30 for fourth.

Franklin’s lineup is now complete. She’ll be on the 4x200m freestyle relay and compete in both the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke. DiRado will be swimming three individual events now, adding the 200m backstroke to her lineup which includes both medley swims.

The 100m butterfly has always been that one race that Michael Phelps gives everyone a heart attack. He leaves it until the last minute to come home with the win, and why would the last time he raced on U.S soil be any different?

Phelps was out in fourth with a 26.06, but on that final 50 he came home strong. It wasn’t until the last 20-meters that Phelps really began to edge out to the front of the field in order to establish himself as the leader.

At the touch, he clocked in a 51.00. He smacked the water. He spit water out of his mouth. And then he climbed out of the water at these trials for the last time after a race.

Right behind Phelps was Tom Shields who rocked a 51.20 to secure his second swim at these Olympic Games. Phelps and Shields will both be competing in the 100 and 200m butterflies in Rio.

Seth Stubblefield of Cal and Jack Conger of Texas just missed the Olympic team. Stubblefield was a 51.24, 0.04 seconds behind Shields, and Conger was a 51.26, 0.06 seconds behind Shields.

Katie Ledecky put everyone on the edge of their seats through 600-meters tonight as she chased her own world record, finishing shy of that mark, but still claiming gold and securing the event for Rio.

At the 50-meter mark Ledecky turned slightly faster than the first 50 split of her world record. By the 100, she was 0.99 seconds under world record pace. At the 200, she was almost a full second and a half under pace splitting a 1:58.75.

Halfway through, Ledecky turned at the 400 a full second under world record pace with a 4:02.21 split. She stayed under world record pace through 550-meters before falling off that pace.

At the 650, Ledecky really started to drop off the pace, slowly but surely falling farther and farther from her record each 50. At the final touch, Ledecky was an 8:10.32 to take the win, just slightly faster than what she swam yesterday morning.

As expected, Leah Smith finished second in 8:20.18 to secure a second individual event for Rio.

About Mitch Bowmile

Mitch Bowmile is a former Canadian age group swimmer who was forced to end his career early due to a labrum tear in his hip and a torn rotator cuff after being recognized as one of the top 50 breaststrokers his age in Canada. He competed successfully at both age …